1993 George B. Beestman (B.S. ‘61)
Agricultural Chemist, Researcher
1993 George B. Beestman
George Beestman, who graduated from UW-River Falls with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education in 1961, is internationally recognized as a leader in the formulations of agricultural crop protection chemicals.
He is a senior research associate with DuPont Agricultural Products of Wilmington, Del. Previously he was director of research and development for United Industries and senior research specialist and chemist for Monsanto, both in St. Louis.
Beestman’s career has included a long list of accomplishments, including five U.S. patents and more than 130 foreign patents. His patented areas of technology are in high concentration microencapsulation and corrosion inhibited formulations. Commercial products formulated by Beestman include Lasso Micro-Tech, a highly active time release form of Lasso herbicide; Polado, the first solid water soluble form of glyphosate; Limit, suspension flowable formulation of turf growth regulator; and Partner, microencapsulated dry solid, water dispersible formulation.
Beestman is active in numerous technical associations and has held leadership positions in the American Society of Testing and Materials and Sigma Xi. He has been listed in American Men and Women of Science, Who’s Who in the East, and Who’s Who in the Midwest. He has been an author or editor in a distinguished list of publications and has received several citations and awards including a Research Achievement Award from Monsanto and a Distinguished Service Award from International Voluntary Services, with which he served in Liberia from 1961 to 1963.
He received a master of science in 1967 and a doctorate in 1969 from UW-Madison.
